in my opinion, the 1st batch is a lot better than the second.the leather is so much softer and buttery and size is much bigger.ive seen the new ones at barney's last week and theyre a little smaller and the leather is so stiff. maybe thats why it retails for 725 and the 1st batch were 825. take a look at the label
the 1st batch says "alexander wang new york" and it has a slouchy feel on it while the 2nd batch says"alexander wang" and looks stiff. luckly i got the 1st batch although i have to pay 100 dollars more but it's so worth it.i love the bag! this 1st batch is from fall 2008 collection

yeah, i noticed that...I have the first batch of the black zipper hobo..my leather is buttery soft...i havent seen the new ones in real life though...but mine was 825 and i wondered why they dropped the prices..i guess thats the answer..

although aesthetically pretty, I have to say the functional designs of the snake chain bags aren't very great. I returned my snake chain bag after wearing it a few times because 1. the shape and the way the chains are just don't hold stuff in there properly. sometimes the bag tips over and is lopsided. it just looks dumb like that 2. if you are as short as me then you will have trouble reaching into your bag without pulling it up. it was to halfway down my thigh 3. the strappy part that rests on your shoulder isn't attached so it slides around and is just awkward. overall I think these bags need more revamping. and I agree about the newer bags being stiff and uglier.